Afghan women should be part of country’s future development- Hillary Clinton

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once again underscored the role of women and the protection of their rights in Afghanistan.

Mrs. Clinton called on the Afghan government at the Tokyo Conference to ensure women’s participation in the development of the country.

“No country is able to achieve economic and political stability with half of its population being powerless,” said Mrs. Clinton.

She added that the way forward for Afghanistan should include fight against corruption, good governance, strengthening the rule of law and access of Afghans especially women to economic opportunities.

Washington says significant progress has been made in women’s rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban era.

According to the figures provided by the State Department of America, 40% of students are girls in Afghanistan today. In 2002, the number of school students was only about 900 thousand, of which the majority was boys.

U.S. officials said that Mrs. Clinton during her visit to Kabul on Saturday discussed the issue of women’s rights with President Hamid Karzai and emphasized that women should have an important role in building the country’s future.